I only know the history of the Virgin of Guadalupe as starting point for religious syncretism - and therefore for the expansion of Catholizism (more or less) over conquered America. And, maybe too, as starting point for mestizaje as an ideology of mixture between Spaniards and indigenous peoples in Mexico. As all this happened in the highlands of Mexico, I have a hard time to see any connection to mermaids - maybe someone knows more about that...

Yes, that's why I'm asking, I really can't see the connection. So, why should a manuscript about a friary of the Virgin of Guadalupe in 17th century Portugal have illustrations of mermaids and other similar beings, and other animals? Any idea?

Maybe it's merely a projection by the artist - at least in the 16th century, that was quite normal (as far as I know). And that would go with the maritime orientation of Portugal, I guess. Who was the artist?

In the art of New Spain (today Mexico, roughly) mermaids and other composite anthropozoomorphic creatures have been used as visual metaphors for sin and temptation, sometimes in the context of a psychomachy or struggle between good and evil, virtue and vice.

Excuse me, but, are you talking about the virgin of Guadalupe from Spain or Mexico? I read what you said about a manuscript, but the image of the virgin looks like mexican or from spain?

No idea of who the author of the images is and the images somehow appear to be illustrating the empty spaces of the text (half pages with text and half pages with illustrations). There are also some sort of terrestrial mosnters and what looked to me as hunting scenes. Maybe an inspiration in the medieval bestiaries, herbaries, and such sort of books?

The friary is of the Virgin of Guadalupe, but no (direct) religious image appers there, so no image of the Virgin (but that the only Virgin of Guadalupe that I know is the black Virgin typiclly represented in Spain and New Spain).

But maybe these illustrations are themselves referring to religious aspects related to the text? Sins? Good actions?

Even in the churches constructed in honor of Guadalupe's Virgin in Mexico, in the "retablos", there is no images of any mermaids, and it could be rare because the Virgin in Mexico was the reference of "Madre Tonantzin" to the indians, and there is no legends from the mexicas around the mermaids. The virgin of Guadalupe in Spain is nearest of the spanish people that conquer Mexico, even Hernán Cortés is from Extremadura, the place where the Virgin of Guadalupe in Spain is originated, so maybe the relation of mermaids is nearest from Guadalupe in Spain than from Mexico. I hope I could help you.

I already checked and Extremadura is an important place for explorators of Nueva España, specially for Yucatan in Mexico and Florida in U.S., and because the virgin of Guadalupe is from Extremadura, maybe there's a connection. I hope i could help you.

Thanks a lot, I'll try to see if there is any connection here in the Iberian Peninsula.

Not in New Spain (Mexico), to my knowledge ... Probably it makes sense in regard of some symbolic meaning related to that age in Europe

FYI, here is an answer from a colleague about this net.

"The Virgin of Guadalupe is tradittionally connected with Quetzalcóatl, la "serpiente emplumada". But, no sea monster here. On the other hand, Quetzalcóatl overcome Cipactli, and this is kind a sea monster. Take a look at http://www.unesco.org.uy/mab/fileadmin/phi/aguaycultura/Mexico/17_Tepehuas.pdf"

Any comments on this?

I don't know if it can be useful, but in original classical tradition mermaids were creatures half woman and half bird, only later associated with snakes and then fish, then in some way similar to the figure of Quetazlcoatl. In addition, although I do not know associations between the Virgin of Guadalupe and the mermaids, those relating the Virgin of Copacabana are well known (http://cdigital.uv.mx/bitstream/123456789/1877/1/199076P125.pdf).

Another element to consider is that already in Europe the figure of the Virgin condense a set of pre-existing elements of the female deities (Isis, but also others) and that coming to America it found new meanings not always associated with those that have evolved in Europe, where the mermaids, in the Middle Ages, had become a symbol of lust, but also, especially among northern seaside communities, has been used to illustrate the two natures of Christ.

Another interesting thing is that ancient Aztecs believed that water was the domain of a goddess called Chalchiuhtlicue. Today they represent her as a woman with long hair and a fish tail like a mermaid.

In the Augustinian convent in Querétaro, Mexico, there is a monumental theological treatise related to the psychomachy and the eucharist, carved in stone on the architectural elements surrounding the central patio, erected in the eighteenth century in an exuberant baroque style. Symbols of sin and temptation include felines with erect phalli and mermaids represented as composite beings that are ducks from the navel up and nude women from the navel down, among other motives. This iconographic program is unusual in the art of New Spain.

Cristina: We are all shooting in the dark here. Could you please provide more contextual information, perhaps with an image, of the work or works that inspired you to ask this question?

There are mermaids that have been integrated into architectural elements, with a supporting role, in some of the facades of the 18th century Franciscan missions of the Sierra Gorda in the state of Querétaro. The idea of architectural support as symbolic punishment goes back to the Caryatids in ancient Greek and Roman architecture, according to Vitruvius, and it occurs throughout the Middle Ages in the Christian architecture of Europe. You can see some mermaids with human female tops and fish bottoms, from the Sierra Gorda missions, here:

http://www.inah.gob.mx/images/stories/Boletines/2013/Reportajes/julio/misiones_web.pdf

The Augustinian cloister in Querétaro can be seen here. I couldn't find details of the felines or mermaids on the web, and I haven't had a chance to scan my slides yet.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/90/Quer%C3%A9taro%2C_ex_convento_San_Agust%C3%ADn_5.JPG

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f5/Interior_Ex_Convento_de_San_Agust%C3%ADn.JPG

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/50/Arcos_Ex_Convento_de_San_Agust%C3%ADn.JPG

IN relation to the idea of the serpent and serpent tail connection with goddesses/ possibility of later being asciobed to the Virgin you could look at the French mythological story of Melusine, who was had a serpent's tale due to a curse. There may be connections here. The Melusine story has great resonance and continues to be passed down

I have been studying the cultural history of mermaids for years special focus on European traditions and Middle Ages. I am very pleased to have some information from the American side of the globe. There seems to be a scientific view that Christian figural bird-woman hybrid is the earlier one, but there are also very early fish-woman hybrids e.g. a Coptic relief with 2 mermaids/sirenae with cross-pendants from the IV- V century A.D.

I highly recommend as a basic reading of the multiform and varying history of antique and medieval sirens/mermaids: LECLERQ-MARX, JACQUELINE 1997: La Sirène dans la pensée et dans l´art de l´Antiquité et du Moyen Âge. Académie Royale de Belgique.

Silvia, you mentioned that “northern seaside communities, has been used to illustrate the two natures of Christ”. This is a new and interesting knowledge to me. So could you specify it and give the information of the source?

I attach pictures of Sirenae in Finnish medieval parish churches.

Aila, to be more accurate my mention of the connection between mermaids and the dual nature of Christ refers to the cornish history (Betcher, Gloria, A Tempting Theory: What Early Cornish Mermaid Images Reveal about the First Doctor's Analogy in Passio Domini, EDAMR, 18, 1996), but indeed it’s a rare type of symbolism, since the most commonly used symbolism, at least as far as I know, is to see mermaids as the antithesis of Christ as a fisher of souls (Charbonneau-Lassay, Louis,Il bestiario del Cristo. Roma, Ed. Arkeios, 1994 ). I do not have much experience on this specific issue, what I do know is that often in the Latin American context, it is necessary to find local references to penetrate symbols that may be obvious in the European context. I’ve given some hints on the possible relationships between the theme of mermaids and a Christian framework, but I have to admit that it’s quite difficult without a more precise context.

David, I still don't have the images with me. I found the manuscript in a regional archive (north of Portugal) and I am waiting for the digital images of the document. When I have one, I can post it here. But the image is not similar to the one posted by Aila, it is something more in the style of Aldrovandi mermaids and mermen (not sure if you are familiar with those). In the same manuscript there are pictures of other "monsters", maybe land animals, not sure...

And I don't know if I am deviating the topic trying to find a relation where there might be none, but the illustrations could be related to the region where the manuscript was produced and not to the content of the manuscript itself?

Thanks Cristina. I found a good reproduction from Aldrovandi’s Monstrorum Historia with a mermaid and merman (http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/aldrovandi-1642-folio-monster-100279197). This couple looks like it is derived from the Renaissance grotesque imagery often found on title pages of books (and copied to form monumental friezes in the sixteenth century mendicant convents of New Spain), where human, animal, plant, and sometimes architectural elements are combined, inspired by ancient Greek and Roman friezes. I still suspect that your mermaid may have been used to enhance the saintly purity of María by way of contrast.

I have some mermaid-pictores from Porugal ; From Evora I think...But those are in my workcomputer. I´ll send those in some days...

Here is the page with the mermaid and Sea monster (?)

If you look the bibliography of my article kuvittelemalla luotua - keskiaikainen kuvamaailma, uskoonsaattaminen ja merenneito , you´ll find quite a good list of publications about mermaids....

and here as an attachment of Evora-sirenae

Christina, here you have link to the article

http://uskonnontutkija.fi/2013/12/19/kuvittelemalla-luotua-keskiaikainen-kuvamaailma-uskomaansaattaminen-ja-merenneito/

This is a great discussion. I am learning a lot about mermaids.

I would say that the mermaid wears a 'sanbenito', a penitential garment that associates her with heresy and punishment by the 'Holy Inquisition'.

I saw the picture of Cristina, and I’ve to admit that it’s quite unusual in my experience. So at first glance I do not see connections with American images known to me, indeed, to tell the truth, the style of the figures reminds me of oriental miniatures, enough to bring me back to mind, I guess especially for the curious headdress of the mermaid, the image of mermaids of the Ramayana (Suvannamaccha).

In Latin American contexts mermaids usually are naked, as in Europe, and sometimes with feather or foliage headdress. Actually the reference to sanbenito would match with the context, but is it possible that the sea figures aren’t so much related to the Virgin of Guadalupe, rather than with some activities of the confraternity mentioned in the document?

However I found another case of association between the image of the Virgin and the mermaids, although the figures are not similar to those presented here (http://www.redalyc.org/pdf/127/12721040003.pdf).

I agree with David, I find this discussion very stimulating in its many implications and I hope also that our suggestions could be useful for Cristina and not too much deviating.

The mermaid’s hair is seemingly covered by a penitent´s hat, represented by superimposed rings of decreasing size in the profile view. This cone-shaped hat was known as 'coroza' (Spanish) or ‘carapuça’ (Portuguese). It was wearied with the ‘sanbenito’ at the ‘auto-de-fé’ to expose the condemned to public opprobrium.

Yes Silvia, the image does resemble a bit like "Asian Mermaids", very similar to the Suvannamaccha. At least I found a similar one in the archives of Museu do Oriente in Lisbon. Check the image I am sending in attachment.

I did not knew of that possible relation to the "sanbenito" that Carlos mentioned, but I'll try to also check that. That could somehow connect to the religious content of the document, I am still transcribing it.

Thanks a lot for all your comments and contributs. Still a lot of research to be conducted on this particular document and its illustrations. And a lot to be said about mermaids :-)

Dear Cristina, I have not read all the comments ando I don't know much about mermaids but I know about Virgin of Guadalupe. First of all, I know at least two Virgins of Guadalupe: the one of Extremadura, in Spain, with confraternities in Spain and Spanish America. Tho document you have must me related to that one. The other is the Virgin of Guadalupe of Tepeyac in Mexico. This last one is related indirectly to the snake of Inmaculate Conception, the female that defeated this animal who tempted Eve in Paradise. But it is a snake, not a fish.Even I see the image you present as a the tail of a snake, more than a fish. I don't see the "sambenito" mentioned up. But have to check it better.

I think that the shown mermaid is possibly a symbolic representation of a woman being possessed by demon. It seemingly wears sanbenito with a Greek cross (four equal arms) and conic-shaped penitent´s hat. The left 'monster' can represent the demon. A flower is depicted below this figure and the 'h' of 'bal / Thazar' (last line; left). It seems to correspond to 'fleur-de-lis'.

Thank you so much for all your comments and sugestions. I am trying to put all together and make some sense out of it.

And let the mermaids keep puzzling us!

Cristina.

Your question sparked my interest to read about the Virgin of Guadaloupe. The Mexican symbol of identity, that is the Virgin Mary with an Indian face perhaps (African face). If you are interested doing a comparative mythological study, then see Laure E. Perez´s Chicana Art: the politics of Spiritual Aesthetics Altarities (Objects and Histories) and Ofelia Garcia´s Las Paredes Hablan en Barrio. The works view history using socio-political theory. They examine symbolic negotiation and representation of transnational politics of Latinos using murals as significant icons. Making a connection between Mermaid Serena and the Virgin of Guadeloupe is what Perez does by examining the Mexican lottery card symbols. It depends on what connections you want to make, Are you intending drawing binaries such as Virgin Guadeloupe of Sacred hearts and Mermaid Serena of traditional heart/ God as the automate good/ devil as the seed of evil, colonizers and colonial masters as thieves and exploiters/indigenous Latinos as victims of exploitation and thievery. It all depends on your perceptual focus.

As an Anatomist, with interests in the History of Sciences, I find this issue and the several contributions I have read, as of imense interest, even in medical terms.

I had great fun, for a few years, in researching ancient descriptions of anthropozoomorphic creatures, trying to find a relation to the quest for grafts and transplants in surgery.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/266392790_Anatomy_and_Grfts_From_Ancient_Myths_to_Modern_Reality

(Of course that in anthropological terms, most half-god/half-monstrous creatures deriving from hybrids are a contribute to the history of mythologies. But I also could find some relation in time, with the scientific progresses of the quest for surgical Grafting, or transplantation).

Even though I mas not answer directly to your question on the relation between mermaids and the Virgin of Guadaloupe, I thought itmight be interested to colaborate in this debate, with the images I collected from the XVIth century surgeon AMBROISE PARÉ, Or even, later on, from the XXth century, the surrealistic approach to the subject, by René Magrite, and his «Collective Invention»..

Hope this was useful, or at least that  I made you smile...

Best regards, Maria

Article Anatomy and Grfts, From Ancient Myths to Modern Reality

 In ancient times the imaginary sea monsters was very often, lack of scientific knowledge. In mythology the belief in gods was almost absolute, then attempting to transposition of demi-gods with the Saints was the easiest way for the aggrandizement of the figures half gods/ Saints .

Dear Maria,

Thanks a lot for your contribution. I've just download the paper you mentioned and will read it carefully.The monstrous in the marine environment since medieval times is one of my research topics. In fact, a part of my research in the history of science (and of marine animals over time) is exactly trying to locate a possible real being that might be assigned to a certain mythological creature(or different representations of such). And this is exactly the case of the double tailed mermaid, which I think may be based on the observation of rare cetacean specimens (either live or most ossibly stranded after dead).

I'm very familiar with the work by Paré but no so much with the art by Magrite, but I will also check that.

You're welcome. (eu é que lhe agradeço a atenção!)

It's good to find common issues between Arts and Sciences.

(Today, I received the latest edition of National Geographic, with an interesting article on real living hybrids, such as frogs with 5 hind legs.)

I wish you the best of luck!

Kind regards (e um abraço)

Maria

Obrigada Marta :-)

http://www.nationalgeographic-magazine.com/eu-29/current-issue/

Joe, you mentioned singing mermaids, here is a book to consult: